Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Moscow, October 13, (Interfax) - The Russian Orthodox Church is deeply concerned "over the anti-canonical actions" made by hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople's Ukrainian church structures in the USA and Canada, website of the Department for External Church Relations reports.

On the instruction of Patriarch Kirill, DECR head Metropolitan Hilarion expressed the Russian Orthodox Church's concerns at the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference in Chambesy near Geneva.

He explained that the mentioned hierarchs arrived in Ukraine allegedly on behalf to the Patriarch of Constantinople without informing about it the canonical Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, come into contact with the schismatics, declare the alleged readiness of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to grant autocephaly to the schismatics, challenge the Patriarchate of Constantinople's universally recognized canonical acts of the past centuries, accept with honour the persons defrocked and excommunicated from the Church, letting them 'celebrate' in their churches and praying together with them.

"We ask the Patriarchate of Constantinople to give an assessment to these anti-canonical actions and oblige these hierarchs to stop such actions destroying our pan-Orthodox unity," Metropolitan Hilarions stated.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church's delegation expressed hope that, despite the existing difficulties, the participants in the Conference will be able, "in the spirit of fraternal unanimity and cooperation", to prepare the Pan-Orthodox Council at a time when Orthodoxy "needs it so much."

As always, Met. Hilarion was exceedingly direct in his address to the Catholic hierarchs assembled to discuss the Church and the family. It ...

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."